Worth The Wait
by OnewithNature
Summary: Kate and Rana are trying to pick up the pieces of their lives after the painful aftermath of their affair. With time, will they realize that the pieces they hold will always belong together?
1. Chapter 1

3 weeks.

That's how long it had been since Luke's funeral.

And that's how long it had been since Alya left Weatherfield to try and clear her head and her heart of the crippling grief that comes with losing someone you love.

3 weeks.

That's how long it had been since Zeedan found out about the affair.

And that's how long it had been since Kate and Rana had said a word to each other.

Kate released a sigh and sprawled herself onto the couch; her eyes drilled to the white ceiling as her mind took her back to that day, back to that moment.

" _You shouldn't have told him."_

Kate had gone over those words in her mind many a time since that dreaded confrontation in the Bistro. She was angry at first, because… _of course she should have told him_. It was the truth and she was tired of living a life of false pretenses. She was becoming someone she didn't recognize; someone she didn't want to be. And it was time to put an end to that. Why couldn't Rana understand?

Though they haven't spoken since then, she has seen her around. Occasionally, she sees her in the pub or across the street as she walks home from work.

She looks different now. Empty. And Kate can't stand to see her that way; so small and frail, devoid of life and energy. The warm, mischievous glint she's used to seeing in her chocolate brown eyes is now gone; suddenly faded into nothingness. The Rana she now sees, isn't the one she knew.

And it's a bit concerning….to say the least. But she can't really say anything. She did this. She let her go, so it's no longer her place to worry over Rana's suffering. She forfeited that right when she decided that their relationship wasn't worth fighting for. That Rana wasn't worth fighting for.

Kate blinked rapidly as she began to feel tears welling up in her eyes. How could she have been so stupid? So blind? Why couldn't she have been patient?

Rana would have been worth the wait.

No matter how overwhelming her guilt or jealously was, no matter how painful it was to not be able to be open about the woman she loved, being with Rana in the end would have been worth it. She knows that.

And it's this realization that hits her like a ton of bricks on this evening. It's this realization that _literally_ makes her feel sick to her stomach. She gets up and quickly heads to the bathroom, vomiting into the toilet bowl once she arrives. She brushes her teeth and washes her face soon afterward, wanting to rid herself of the tears that briefly made themselves at home there.

After freshening up, she heads to the kitchen and puts the kettle on, hoping that tea will help soothe her unsettled stomach. She frowns as she waits for the water to boil, suddenly wishing the drink somehow had the power to soothe her mind as well as her body.

* * *

Kate was asleep on the couch when she awoke to an unpleasant sound a couple of hours later. She slowly opened her eyes and gingerly walked toward the door when she realized where the buzzing was coming from.

"Hello?" Kate answered, disuse making her voice barely audible.

"Kate…"

The brunette snapped out of her haze when she realized who it was. "Rana?"

A few seconds went by before she heard the woman speak again. "Can I…can I come up?" she asked, hesitantly.

An expression of concern blanketed Kate's face. She could clearly hear Rana's voice breaking as she spoke. "Yeah…of course." She opened the door and briefly felt tempted to meet her halfway down the stairs.

When Rana arrived a few minutes later, Kate was greeted with the sight of tear-stained cheeks.

"Rana…" Kate said, breathlessly; her body aching to get closer.

"Kate…" Rana responded, tears still flowing from her eyes. She barely got a few words out before her voice her cracked again. "I'm sorry…"

Kate swiftly walked over to her and took the small woman into her arms without a word. They stood there for 10 whole minutes while Rana quietly sobbed into her shoulder.

Though Kate no doubt wanted to know what had made Rana so upset, she stayed silent; realizing that she wouldn't be able to get an explanation from her while she was in this state.

Once Rana's sobs subsided into sniffles, Kate slowly pulled back from her and tried to make eye contact. The smaller woman avoided her gaze until Kate gently lifted her chin upward. "Let's head over to the couch, yeah?"

Rana sighed and nodded her head in agreement before letting Kate guide her to a seat on the sofa. "Do you want me to make you a brew?" Kate asked, softly.

Rana nodded again, still feeling too fragile to speak. Kate squeezed her hand gently and grabbed her a box of tissues before making her some fresh tea.

Rana managed a small smile when Kate handed her the mug. "Thanks."

"No problem." Kate felt some relief at seeing her smile….even if it was a hollow one compared to the brilliant smiles she elicited from her in the past.

Rana clutched the mug tightly, the warmth from it providing her with a sense of calm. She stared into it absent-mindedly until Kate broke the silence they'd established.

"Can I?" Kate asked, tentatively.

Rana's eyes trailed from her mug to Kate's eyes. "I'm sorry?"

Kate lifted her right hand, showing it to be holding a tissue. "You've still got some…" She pointed at her own face to indicate the area of Rana's face that needed attention.

Rana briefly placed a finger onto her left cheek and realized what Kate was referring to when she looked at her hand. "Oh."

Kate chuckled quietly at Rana's expression of embarrassment before reaching over and gently wiping the tissue against the smaller woman's cheek to remove the remaining mascara.

"Gosh, I must look a mess," Rana bemoaned, suddenly self-conscious.

Kate shook her head in amusement. "Don't be silly." She grabbed Rana's hand and carefully wiped off the mascara that stained her index finger. "You look beautiful," she said, smiling as she lifted her head and looked into Rana's eyes. "You always do."

They held each other's gaze for a bit until Rana averted her eyes and withdrew her hand from Kate's grasp. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come here."

Kate tried to pretend she didn't instantly miss the feeling of having Rana's hand in hers. "No, it's fine. I'm glad you're here. I've…I've missed you."

Rana looked up at Kate again, the vulnerability laced in her tone making her melt inwardly. "I've missed you too," she confessed. She placed her mug on the coffee table as she contemplated her next words. "I'm sorry that things turned out the way they did. If I could go back and change things…"

"Hey," Kate interjected, softly. "I'm the one who should be apologizing. I should have let you come out on your terms. Instead, I threw a fit and wasn't there for you when you needed me the most."

Kate reclaimed one of Rana's hands as she continued, her tone solemn. "I was so concerned with being your lover that I neglected to be a good friend. I'm so sorry, Rana. Please forgive me."

Rana kept her gaze trained on Kate as she felt her eyes begin to water. "Of course I forgive you," she said. "I love you."

Kate breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at her affectionately. "I love you too."

Rana smiled back and then groaned as tried to blink back her fresh tears. "Ugh, not again," she muttered.

Kate laughed at her grumbling and grabbed another tissue to wipe them away. "Don't worry, I read somewhere that crying is actually good for you. It helps relieve stress."

"Well, it seems like I've been crying for 5 years and I don't think I feel any better," Rana joked.

Kate nodded sadly and began stroking the back of Rana's hand with her thumb as she thought about everything that transpired in the last hour.

Rana took a sip of her tea and prodded Kate for answers when she noticed that she fell silent. "What is it?"

Kate gave her hand a quick squeeze before responding. "Don't get me wrong, I'm so happy you're here and that we've finally cleared the air a little bit, but you were pretty distraught earlier….was that about me? Or…."

Rana took a deep breath in an attempt to collect herself. "My parents…they know about me….about us."

Kate's eyes widened in surprise. "You told them?"

"No, they came round soon after I told Zee and he made me tell them what happened….then he told them it was you." Rana could barely keep herself together by the time she finished talking.

"Oh, Rana," Kate cooed, her voice full of sympathy. "God, I'm so sorry. That must've been terrifying. What did they say?"

Though Rana opened her mouth to speak, the only thing she could manage was a sob. Kate moved closer to where she was sitting and pulled her into another tight hug. "I'm so sorry this happened," she whispered.

They stayed that way for a long time; the warmth and closeness of the embrace making them reluctant to move.

Rana's phone eventually popped their little bubble when it buzzed with a notification. She grabbed it and furrowed her eyebrows when she read the message.

"Who is it?" Kate asked.

Rana typed out a message as spoke. "It's Imran."

Kate shifted to stretch herself out a bit. "Does he know?"

Rana placed her phone on the coffee table. "Yeah, he's the only one that hasn't made me feel like total crap."

"I'm glad," Kate smiled. "At least you have two people on your side."

Rana smiled back and slid her hand into Kate's again. "Yeah…thanks for being here for me tonight, by the way."

"You don't have to thank me."

"I do though," Rana said, pointing at a huge wet spot on Kate's shoulder. "I've practically slobbered all over your shirt."

Kate looked at the spot and laughed. "It's fine. There's no one else I'd rather have 'slobber' on me."

Rana rolled her eyes as she laughed along. "If you say so."

Kate gave her hand another reassuring squeeze and checked her wrist watch a few moments later. "It's getting late."

Rana's face dropped a bit at the observation. "Yeah…"

The change in Rana's expression prompted Kate to make a rash suggestion. "I'm not trying to chuck you out. You don't have to go…. you can stay here if you want." She shrugged nonchalantly as she finished speaking, trying to mask the hint of uncertainty in her voice.

Though she had no idea what was going on with Rana and Zeedan to this point, Kate knew that if Rana was back on her doorstep, then things could not have been going any better than when she last saw them together. And now that things were out in the open, Kate knew it was time to right her wrongs and fight for what she wanted. It was time to fight for what she knew they both wanted.

Rana frowned and tilted her head to one side as she briefly considered the offer. "I can't."

"Why not?" Kate countered. "Are you still trying to make things work with Zeedan?"

Rana closed her eyes for a moment as she tried to formulate a response. The last thing she wanted to do was drag Kate into her mess. "It's…complicated."

"What do you mean?" Kate asked, her curiosity increasing by the second.

Rana sighed as she struggled to respond. "It's…hard to talk about."

Kate furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"Yeah, of course." Rana said, visibly distracted as she checked the time on her phone. "I just…I need to go."

Kate watched with a concerned expression as Rana quickly gathered her belongings and made the move to leave. "When will I see you again?" she asked, now standing.

Rana spun away from the door to face her again upon hearing the question. She searched her eyes for a moment and then blew her a kiss. "Tomorrow. I promise."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Heyyy :) So just a couple of quick reminders before you read this chapter: I'm deviating from the canon a bit, so Yasmeen and Alya are still out of town and Kate Sophie did date for a bit, but not for as long as it played out on Corrie. Hope you like!

* * *

Rana was in her new bedroom….the guest bedroom, rummaging through her purse, when she first saw it.

She'd completely forgotten it was there because it was hidden at the very bottom, folded closed. Even if it wasn't at the bottom, it wouldn't have been easily identifiable as anything special. In fact, on the surface, it appeared to be just a piece of paper.

Rana, however, knew it was more than that.

She sighed as she reopened it and read it for what might have been the 100th time since it was discreetly given to her a couple of months back.

 _You look beautiful, as always. Counting the seconds till we can be together again._

She had left the medical centre and gone to the bistro for lunch that day because she knew Zeedan would be in his food van. Kate slid it onto her table in passing because she wasn't her assigned waitress.

Rana just smiled and rolled her eyes at first because….how could anyone possibly think she looked beautiful in her work uniform? Especially when she felt like burning it half the time? Kate was surely just trying to score brownie points…

At least, that's what Rana told herself until she looked up from the note and saw the woman gawking at her from behind the bar, a twinkle of admiration apparent in her eyes as she carefully gauged her reaction to the message.

Rana felt her heart leap at their eye contact. Surely, Kate meant it, right? Rana could feel it in the way she looked at her in that moment.

And if she was being honest, she could feel it in the way Kate regarded her in their stolen moments as well; in the gentle way she held her hands, the tender way she kissed her lips.

Kate Connor truly thought she was beautiful. And because of that, Rana began to believe it too.

Kate was teaching her that she could be beautiful without her makeup, without her jewelry, and without all the other expensive items she often invested in to carefully craft her appearance. Kate was teaching her that she was beautiful just as she was.

Rana sat on the edge of her bed and folded the note again as she recalled their interaction from the previous day.

When she left the house that night, her intention was never to go and see Kate. She just wanted to get away, she needed to get away….from Zeedan and from her parents. Despite the contract, things seemed to be getting worse with each passing day. If she wasn't being ignored, she was being insulted, both directly and indirectly. That night, it was a sly dig from her mother, in the midst of another surprise visit, that sent her running out the door in tears. She stood outside for a few minutes before deciding that she needed to see Kate.

It was a risky decision because of the way things ended between them a few weeks prior, but she knew that Kate was the only one she could talk to; the only person she truly felt comfortable being vulnerable around.

Though her risk obviously paid off, she was suddenly left wondering about what was next. Could they ever have a future together? Could she ever fully trust Kate again? What would she think about the contract?

All of these questions were swimming in Rana's head when a text alert abruptly pulled her out of her contemplation.

 **Kate** _(8:07am): Meet me again at my place? :)_

Rana smiled and responded.

 **Rana** _(8:08am): Yeah, I can swing by after work. Is that okay?_

 **Kate** _(8:09am): Of course! Hopefully they'll be more smiles than tears this time, yeah? x_

* * *

Kate sat back in her chair at Roy's and took a sip of her coffee when she realized that Rana apparently wasn't going to reply to her latest text. She'd been eager to message her since she woke up, but figured she should wait a bit so as to not appear _too_ eager.

She was checking her phone again when she noticed the chair across from her being pulled out from underneath her table. "May I?"

Kate looked up and saw Imran standing in front of her. "Sure!"

"Thanks," he replied. "I saw you at the gathering for Luke at the bistro, but I didn't get a chance to properly introduce myself."

He sat down and then extended his hand. "Imran Habeeb."

Kate smiled and shook it. "Kate Connor."

"Oh, I know who you are." Imran peered at her as he retracted his hand and sipped his own coffee.

Kate slightly raised an eyebrow. She obviously wasn't surprised that Imran knew who she was, but she was surprised at his tone. It was….weird. "Let me guess, Rana?"

"Yup." Imran straightened his posture. "She told me everything."

"I know," Kate nodded. "And I'm really grateful for the support you've given her. Thank you for being there when I wasn't."

"I'll always be there for my sister and I'll always love her no matter what. You don't have to thank me for that," Imran said, his expression stern.

In that moment, Kate finally pinpointed what she failed to detect in his voice earlier. _Snideness._ She moved her coffee to one side and leaned forward on her elbows. "I'm sorry, is there a problem?"

"There shouldn't be, as long as you keep away from, Rana," Imran retorted. "I know you were with her last night. And the very last thing she needs in her life right now is you."

Kate recoiled at his words. "She came to me, okay? I didn't go chasing after her."

Imran briefly adjusted his tie as he responded nonchalantly. "Good, since it seems you're no longer interested, you should have no problem turning her away the next time she shows up at your door."

"I can't do that," Kate answered, incredulously.

"Why not? Her life has basically blown up in her face. She's devastated, she's confused, and that's all down to you."

Kate leaned back in disbelief. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"Well, it did. And your life is perfectly intact while Rana is in bits."

Kate could feel her anger rising. "You don't even know me. This hasn't been easy for me either."

Imran laughed cynically. "Really? You seemed to have no problem moving on from Rana fairly quickly. What's your girlfriend's name, again? Sophie?"

Kate felt a pang of guilt run through her body. "We're not together anymore."

"Shocker," Imran remarked, sarcastically. He stood from the table and grabbed his briefcase as he continued. "Listen, whatever you do in your private life is, obviously, your business. But do me a favor and keep my sister out of it. She's already dealing with enough with this contract, she doesn't need you jerking her around on top of everything else."

Kate, now visibly bewildered, could muster nothing in reply as he turned away and swiftly made his way out of the café.

* * *

"How was your day?"

"Hmm?"

"How was your day?" Rana repeated.

Kate placed Rana's tea on the coffee table and sat next to her on the couch, her own mug still in her hand. She responded with a bit of hesitation. "It was…good..."

Rana silently stared at Kate, daring her to continue. After she arrived at the flat, it didn't take her long to realize that the woman wasn't her usual self. She seemed….tense…and Rana wanted to know why.

She eventually spoke up when she realized Kate would say nothing more.

"Is…is this weird for you?" Rana gestured between them. "I know you did most of the apologizing last time, but is there something I still need to apologize for? Are you still angry with me?"

"No, absolutely not." Kate quickly placed her mug down and grabbed the hand that Rana placed between them. "I mean, yes, I was angry, but that's over now."

"Are you sure?" Rana asked, visibly concerned.

Kate locked eyes with her and gave her a small smile. "Yes, I promise."

Rana placed her other hand on top of Kate's. "Then what's wrong?"

Kate sighed and shifted her eyes downward as she spoke begrudgingly. "I….I saw Imran earlier."

Rana brought a hand up to Kate's chin and lifted it upward so that their eyes could meet again. "What happened?"

"Let's just say he isn't exactly my biggest fan."

"What did he say?"

"He thinks I'm no good for you." Kate leaned her face away from Rana's hand. "And after processing his words for most of the day, I can't say that I think he's wrong."

Rana shook her head in disagreement. "He's just protective. Don't take it personally."

"Easier said than done." Kate grimaced slightly as she recalled the conversation. "I don't know what I thought our first proper chat would be like, but I certainly wasn't expecting him to rip into me the way he did."

Rana began stroking the back of Kate's hand in an attempt to soothe her. "I love my brother, but honestly, what he thinks about you doesn't matter. He doesn't know you the way I do and he's not been around long enough to understand the connection we have."

Kate removed herself from Rana's reach and stood from the couch, suddenly putting some distance between them. "I know that, but he's not wrong about the mess I've created. This whole situation has caused everyone involved so much pain."

"What are you saying?" Rana looked at her with a pained expression. "Are you saying that you regret being with me?"

"No, of course not." Kate softened her voice and took a few steps toward the couch again. "I just wish we could've done things differently," she said, reclaiming her seat as she continued. "I wish I could've done things differently. Don't you?"

Rana answered honestly. "Yeah, I do. But if someone told me that doing things this way was the only way I would have realized the full extent of my feelings for you, then I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat."

Kate immediately felt goosebumps rise on the surface of her skin at the confession. Her level of attraction to the woman was beyond explanation. No one she dated prior to her could ever make her feel this vulnerable at the drop of a hat. She smiled warmly at this fact and gently placed a hand on Rana's left cheek, stroking it as she searched her eyes for permission to do what she'd wanted to do since they'd reconciled the day before.

When Rana's eyes fell to her lips, Kate leaned in slowly and initiated a delicate kiss. It became more passionate than delicate once they allowed themselves to relax; the comfortable familiarity they developed prior to their break up, returning to them with ease. They continued to indulge in each other for a few minutes until Kate withdrew lips after feeling one of Rana's hands make its way underneath her shirt and onto her abs.

Rana rose her eyebrows in bemusement. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…." Kate gave her a quick, reassuring peck before continuing. "I just don't want us to move too fast. We still have a lot to talk about."

Rana nodded, but remained silent; a pensive look suddenly overtaking her countenance as she retracted her hand.

Kate spoke again when she recognized that Rana didn't seem intent on leading the conversation. "Can we talk about where things stand with you and Zeedan?" she asked. "...Also, Imran mentioned something about a contract earlier….he said you've been stressed about it. Has it to do with your job at the medical centre?"

Rana sighed and averted her eyes. "I don't want to talk about it."

Kate reclaimed her hand and squeezed it lightly. "If we're gonna have a chance at being together, properly, we have to," she pleaded.

Rana exhaled deeply as she considered Kate's words. She knew she was right, but she also knew that talking about everything would make her more emotional than she wanted to be at the moment. She was _really_ tired of crying.

They were quiet for a while until Kate broke the silence between them.

"Listen, I don't know what you're afraid of, but just know that I'm not here to judge you," she said, softly. "I love you, so I just want to know what's going on….and if I can help in any way, I promise that I will."

Rana looked to Kate, tears already forming in her eyes. She tried to blink them back as she spoke. "Zee and I over."

Kate nodded in understanding, still feeling concerned despite the good news. She grabbed a tissue from the box that had remained on the coffee table since yesterday and handed it to Rana as she waited for her to continue.

Rana sniffled and took a moment to wipe away her falling tears. "After he forced me to tell my parents about us, they offered him a deal in which they'd give him money for his dream café if he overlooked the affair and pretended to be happily married to me. He….we….accepted it. That's the contract Imran was referring to."

Kate looked at Rana with an expression of disbelief. "What?"

"I know it's terrible but I feel so bad about everything I've put him through and the terms of the contract only require that we remain married for at least a year."

Kate grimaced in disgust. "How could he accept a deal like this? How could your parents do this? This is wrong on so many levels, Rana. You're not a piece of property, you don't have to go through with this."

"I do. If I don't follow through, he'll have nothing…and my parents will disown me. At least this way, he gets what he's always wanted and my parents have some time to cool off and realize that being with you doesn't change who I am; that it doesn't change the fact that I'm still their little girl."

Kate closed her eyes and brought her hands up, briefly rubbing her palms onto her face in exasperation. "I can't believe this."

Rana grabbed another tissue for herself. "Again, I know it's terrible, but I'm trying to focus on the positives."

Kate turned to face Rana again, desperately wanting to somehow convince her that she should break the contract, but also wanting to respect her decision. She was silent as she pondered what to do.

Rana placed her makeup stained tissues on the table and looked into Kate's eyes as she took her hands into hers. "Do you still want to be with me?"

Kate laughed mirthlessly. "Of course I wanna be with you. It's all I've wanted since you kissed me for the first time in this very room," she admitted. "But…I don't think I can stomach sneaking around again."

Rana could feel her eyes stinging with the arrival of fresh tears. "I need you, Kate. I can't do this without you," she cried, her voice breaking toward the end of her plea.

Kate regarded her with sad eyes as she pulled her in for a tight hug and whispered into her ear. "I'll be here for you whenever you need me. I promise. It just may not be in the way you want."

* * *

 **A/N:** So yeah, there's that. There are a couple of things I wanted to address in this chapter but things didn't go as planned, so I'll have to include them in the next chapter. Thanks for hanging in there. Leave questions if you have any. I'm aware that it may seem like Kate is going back on Fingers crossed for more Kana soon! Love y'all!


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